Thursday, April 26, 2007

Phil Spector: Unchained Biography

One thing Phil Spector is certainly guilty of is killer honesty. That, and trying to convince the world that the dead and decaying look is in style. Apparenty Phil has an authorized biography coming out, which contains numerous interviews taken just weeks before he allegedly committed murder on the grounds of his mansion. Let's just say he must have an ego the size of the Wall of Sound. Some excerpts, from today's New York Post - Page Six, include:

* Michael Jackson is "the most depressing, heinous thing," Spector said. "Starting out life as a black man and ending up as a white woman. What's that all about? But the King [of Pop]? He's no King . . "

* On Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys leader and songwriting legend who battled mental illness for years, Spector declared, "I don't feel sorry for Brian Wilson. I never thought he was that talented to begin with . . . I'd be more impressed if somebody with a brain idolized me."

* Oasis, the British band fronted by Liam and NoelGallagher, are "jerks."

* On Tina Turner: "I made her famous, and she resents that . . . But give it up, for God's sake . . . Why say, '[Bleep] you.' Just leave me alone."

* Bruce Springsteen, who borrowed the "Wall of Sound" technique for his breakthrough hit "Born to Run" in the 1970s, "should have paid me royalties . . . Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery until it becomes plagiarism." Spector also said the Boss' career is stale: "He's protected himself with three new songs and 25 old ones."

* On Motown founder Berry Gordy: "I don't see Berry doing very much. Wrote some good songs, 'Money' and all of that. But beyond that I feel there were more talented people in the organization."

* And on "American Bandstand" legend Dick Clark: "That's where payola started. Everybody around Dick Clark went to jail, except for Dick Clark."